Minister Bibeau and Parliamentary Secretary Ellis launch federal consultations on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework

OTTAWA, ON, June 3, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Neil Ellis, launched the federal consultation process for the Next Agricultural Policy Framework. They shared Canada's vision for a sustainable future for the agriculture and agri-food sector in a virtual event with stakeholders.

The Framework is a wide-ranging federal-provincial-territorial agreement that will replace the current five-year, $3 billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which expires on March 31, 2023.

The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is a powerhouse of the Canadian economy, spurring job creation and prosperity across the country. The agriculture and agri-food system generates over $139 billion of our gross domestic product and, when combined with seafood, nearly $74 billion of our exports, while employing more Canadians than any other manufacturing industry in the country.

The current Canadian Agricultural Partnership provides key financial support for agriculture programs and services that are tailored to meet regional needs. This includes a number of federal programs, as well as programs that are cost-shared between the federal and provincial/territorial governments on a 60:40 basis.

The consultations launched today will help shape the direction of the Next Agricultural Policy Framework by gathering the experience and ideas from stakeholders. The Government of Canada is committed to collaborating with its provincial and territorial partners, Canadians, and all stakeholders ? including agricultural producers and processors, women in agriculture, youth, Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, and small and emerging sub-sectors ? to seek feedback and help develop the next Framework.

Consultations begin this month and will continue through the spring of 2022. For updates on the consultations, summaries of the feedback received, and opportunities to contribute to the discussion, please visit the Next Agricultural Policy Framework throughout 2021 and 2022.

Quotes 

"Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Canadian agricultural producers benefit from a wide range of development and risk management programs that are largely funded by the federal government. As Ottawa, the provinces and the territories negotiate the terms of the 2023-2028 policy framework, I encourage all representatives of the agriculture and agri-food sector to participate in the consultations."
-       The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Our farmers and processors depend on a solid foundation of support and investment to help grow their businesses. We look forward to hearing from them throughout this engagement process as the Next Agricultural Policy Framework takes shape, and our industry continues to recover and compete globally."
-       Neil Ellis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for the Bay of Quinte

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen and grow Canada's agri-food and agri-products sectors.
• A number of provinces and territories are also beginning their own engagement sessions with regional stakeholders on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework.
• Stakeholder feedback will establish the vision and priorities for the Next Agricultural Policy Framework and will inform policies, activities and programs that will be developed together with provincial and territorial governments.
• Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture will meet in September 2021 to reflect on their respective consultations and establish priorities in developing the Next Agricultural Policy Framework.

Additional Links 

• Next Agricultural Policy Framework
• Canadian Agricultural Partnership

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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada